Shared Water supply pipe - any advice ?

[Gecco]

Water supplier advised of a leak on our shared water supply pipe.

Our home insurance contracted a local company that came out to detect the leak and advised it is the external stopcock on our drive.
They stated they could excavate, fix and make good there and then to witch we agreed.
Once they dug the hole however they found the leak not to be on our section of the pipe but past the T section about a foot on the pipe leading to our neighbours - as illustrated in the attached Pic "Leak B"

We are House 3 and our pipe is good, however the T pipe feeding House 1 and 2 is leaking on within our boundary.



They couldn't temporary fix it so just left a hole on our drive with constant water squirting out.
It has been left like this for a week and we finally had an email from them stating the home insurance wont cover the cost but they could come back and fix it for £1K.

Doesn't seem right to me

The water supply company just advised the contractor has to fix it and backfill and invoice the neighbouring properties.

Where do I stand on this on a legal basis and how should I proceed ? Currently left with a big hole on my drive with water leaking everywhere.

 

[Gecco]

Yes its their 100% the neighbours responsibility - but discovered AFTER they started digging as the contractor initially stated the leak was on our stopcock just before the T off to the neighbours pipe.

Trouble is I spoke to my immediate neighbour - they don't want to know, the next 2 in line are council owned (God knows if/when I get a reply) and the last property I haven't spoken to yet.

Still leaves me with an open hole and the water leaking.

 

[Gecco]

How big is the hole, how bad is the leak and what was the surface on it?
Which water company is it?

Its the size of a pea, really shoots out when the pressure is fully on. The contractors that dug it up only deal with pipes up to 40mm... and tried to bodge/temp fix it but that blew apart as soon as they turned the pressure back on. The pipe is an old 50+mm supply pipe that feeds another 4 houses after mine.
The pipe T'd off going to my property is 25mm

Water supply is with Essex and Suffolk water



Pic shows the leak when the water pressure is turned off, the pipe going right to our house is covered with mud but you can see the stopcock sticking out.

 

[Gecco]

TBH, I'd probably just pay the grand to get it fixed. As long as it's getting fixed properly (fully replaced pipe).

No the £1K is just for piecing in a new pipe in that section! To have the whole pipe replaced to my property would be £2500 and it would still leave about a meter of my neighbours old existing supply pipe under my drive.

 

[Gecco]

Is it lead? Your water authority may have a lead replacement scheme or grant?

Not lead.

Wat u gonna do

Stick my head in the sand and Ignore the whole thing.

Maybe try a local builder/plumber to clamp it and backfill.

 

[Gecco]

Update on the case:

Finally had a response from the insurance company confirming the initial contractors were only sent out to locate and assess and not start digging.
Confirmed that the leak is on the supply pipe responsible by our neighbours and not us.

Told us to arrange repairs and claim the money from our neighbours and offered to come and backfill the hole once we arranged our own repairs.

they basically said ooopsy our fault but we still wont fix it and pay for it.

I have since taken quotes from various companies to replace the whole pipe and not just the damaged section and the best quote was only £200 more than it would have cost to only replace the damaged section!

having the whole waterpipe to our house replaced next week

 

[Gecco]

I'm just biting the bullet and paying for it, at least then its done.

Just think the contractors that dug the hole and left it should contribute towards the cost.

I'm so perplexed that nobody within the water board and contractors involved are giving a **** that this has been leaking for weeks now - I saw it when they turned on the stopcock - it was like an open kitchen tap shooting water 10m in the air.

Prior to them digging and exposing the leak it was completely compacted with clay and only bubbling.